Sectional tubular tower



May 19, 19.31.

M. B. SCHILLER 1,806,312

SECTIONAL TUBULAR TOWER Filed July 25, 1929 x INV NTOR Patented May 19, 1931 rre 'rares PATENT OFFEC MORGAN B. SCHILLER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN TUBULAR ELEVATOR COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,l A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA SEQTIONAL TUBULAR TOWER Application filed July 25, 1929. Serial No. 380,818.

According to the present invention there j is provided a knock-down elevator' tower construction which can be conveniently used and more satisfactorily used under certain conditions than elevator towers as hereto Y fore constructed and as shown, for instance,

in United States patent to Schiller and Haller No. 1,676,161 and B. 1V. Connely Patentv No. 1,641,801. According to the construction shown in the Connely patent the two bolts to which the system of bracing on two sides of the tower are connected are in the same horizontal plane, so that the length of the bolts used is limited to the length of bolt which can be inserted in the coupling sleeve. Bolts passing diametrically through the joint cannot be used. In the construction shown in the Schiller and Haller patent bolts of any desired length can be used because the bolts are in different planes, but the arrangement Vimposes certain limitations in the erection of the towers due to the fact lthat one section of a tower cannot be completed until the leg members of the next section above it are put in place. In the present invent-ion there is provided an arrangement wherein through-bolts of any suitable length may be employed, the bolts being in different horizontal planes, but the arrangement is such that the leg portions of the nextadjacent section do not haveto be put in place until a given section is completed. In other words, the arrangement is such that a leg section can be inserted in the joint after the bolts for the diagonal and horizontal bracing have been put into place and the diagonal and horizontal braces secured thereto. `This arrangement considerably facilitates the erection of towers of this nature and eliminates considerable risk in the erection thereof.

The invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention and in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through the joint without the diagonal and horizontal girts;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the end portion of one of the leg sections;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing all of the girts and braces in place;

Figure 4f is a horizontal section in the plane of line IV-IV of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 1 showing a slightly modified form of the invention.

In the drawings, 2 designates the upper end of a lower leg section in a tubular elevator tower of the type disclosed in the said Schiller and Haller patent. Resting on the upper end of the lower leg section 2 is the lower end of an upper leg section The joint between the two leg sections is sur rounded by a sleeve 4. The leg section 2 and the sleeve 4 have registering holes 5 therein, and passing diametrically through the registering holes 5 is a bolt 6. The bolt- 6 is in a plane below the plane of the meeting ends of the two leg sections. It will be noted that the bolt 6 passes diametrically through the sleeve, and through the tube 2.

In the upper end of the leg section 2 at diametrically opposite points are semi-circular notches or recesses 8. The upper leg section 3 is provided with registering notches or recesses 9. The sleeve 4L is provided with diametrically opposite holes 10 which register with the openings formed by the registering notches 8 and 9 in the abutting leg sections.

A bolt 11 at right angles to the bolt 6 passes through the holes 10. The notches 8 and 9 accommodate the bolt 10.

Carried on the bolt 6 is a horizontal girt 12, and diagonal girts 13 and 14 forming the bracing Structure for one side of the tower. Secured to the bolt 11 is a horizontal girt 15 and diagonal girts 16 and 17 forming the bracing struct-ure for the other side of the tower, the girts 15, 16 and 17 being in planes at right angles lo the girts 12, 13 and 14.

In the erecting of the tower structure, the sleeve l may be applied to the upper part of the leg` section 2, and the bolt@l passed .through the-holes V5. The horizontal girt` 12 can then b'e'applied to tlieprojecting end of the bolt 6, and the diagonal girts 13 and v14 can be fastened thereto after which the nut 7 canl be applied. At the same tiine the boltY 11, which extends through `the joint Y at right angles to the bolt 6, can be vput in place., It is notV necessary that'the upper leg section 3 be in` place when the bolt 11 is put'through the joint, and just as soonas theibolt 11 is put through, the horizontal girt 15 and the diagonal girts Y16 and 17 can be attached to thexprojecting end therevof.k VIt istherefore unnecessary to start the erection of the Anextsection of the tower until the nextpreceding lower oner has been .completed except that the girts 14 and y17y form apart of'the'next section. I j

' When the next section is erected, the leg r sectionr is first inserted in theupper kpart .of the sleeve 4,V and the notch l'9 is fitted Vover thefbolt 11. rl-his linesv up the upper leg section with respect to the lower leg section, holding` .the upper leg section against rotation with respect to the lower one. After thefupper leg section has been `insertedinthesleeve, the nut 11a on the rbolt llfmay be `tightened to compress 'the' V.sleeve against thefend vof the le@ sec-tion 3 'and thereby makeV tight joint. on thefboltr' can`v also be tightened ,to an extent suflicient' to hold the sleeve tight on the'lower leg section. 'Ihefit between the Vleg and `sleeve is; naturally a close one so that when the` nut on the through holtis tightened up, the sleeve is slightly sprung,

Y and the inside wall of the sleeve is clamped Vtightly against the outsidefwall Vof the leg,

and` making a stiffer joint than kis the case vthustaking upan'yY slight play inthejoint when such clamping action is-not present.

In the construction herein descriloethrthe` bolt@ is in av plane below :the bolt 1l, so that Vthe bracing .on'o'ne sidev of thetower is secured to thel leg sections ina Vplane below Y theisiinilar bracingv on the other side of the tower Vat right yangles thereto. vThis is vof` wparticular importance, where a group of towers are used together to support a scaffolding, andthe individual towers of the Vgroup `vare. connected by horizontaly girts.

, At the same time the bolts 6v and 11 vcan both be set in Vplace andV before the Vlegs .ofthe vnext Vupper section are inserted in the joint. By reason ofthefact that the notches Sand Y VQn'eed accommodate only the shankfcf the v ,bolt, v,and not the head'of the bolt, only a relatively small portion of. the abutting ends :ofthe tube'sections arejcut'ayvay. V The bolts y64v and'ill4 pass entirely through the joint'.

They can therefore be of anye'length necessary'. Double bracing cantherefore bef conveniently-used vwhere it is necessary, ,and n ..flfextra@girts for connecting,adjacent towers vcan be used, the length ofthe bolts imposing no limitation in this respect.

Where it is desirable, an additional bolt 18Vmay be provided, this additional bolt merely connecting the sleeve 4 with the lower portion ofthe upper leg section 3, therebyV providing a'joint which will not come apart when the load on the tower leg 1s in tension instead of in compression, as is sometimes the case where a boom is used on the tower. Y A

In the arrangement' shown in lBigure 5 the lower leg section 2is not notched,and

the bolt 11 is received entirely in a' notch 9 in the lower end ofthe upperleg vsection 3. Bynotching only'oneof the leg sections, the manufacturing operations are slightly reduced, but the structure retains `the advantages of the construction shown in Figure l.

In either forni oftower, the notch inthe 'upper leg section, cooperating with the bolt 9 or 9 willpreventthe upperleg section frointurning with respect to .the sleeve, which sleeve is boltedv to the lower leg section.v `Thus the invention, while facilitating t-he erection and ldismantling of the tower, provides astructure wherein Vproper alliieinent vand positioningof the respective leg sections is secured.

I claiin as iny invention: Y,

1. In a sectional tubular tower, alined leg sections, a sleeve surrounding the adjacent ends ofthe sections,.a`bolt passing through thesleeve and one` 'of the leg sections to which a systeni of bracing for one side-of the towcrgis secured, and a bolt passing through the sleeve between the .abutting [ends ofthe leg sections at ri'ghtangles Vto the iirstbolt to which a system Vof bracing for *braces for another side of the tower connected to theother bolt, said upper leg sectionand said bolts being so'disposed that the upper leg section isV insertible. in the sleeve and reniovabletherefrom when both ofthe said bolts are infplace.V

` 3.Y In' a sectional tubular tower, `.upper and lowerleg secti0ns,.aV sleeve enveloping'. the upper'end of the lowerlegsection and the lowerendrof the upperleg section, a ybolt passing diainetrically'vr through Vthe sleeve and the' upper end of the lower v.leg

" section' 'and' connecting the two, a second ico bolt above the first at right angles thereto and passing diametrically through the sleeve, a system of braces for one side oi' the tower fastened to one bolt, a system of braces for another side of the tower connected to the other bolt, said upper leg section being notched at its lower end to straddle the second bolt whereby it is removable and insertible in the sleeve while the bolts are in place, and a third bolt above the first two passing through the sleeve and through holes in trie upper leg section for connecting the upper leg section and the sleeve and thereby holding the leg against removal.

4l. In a sectional tubular tower, upper and lower leg sections, a sleeve enveloping the upper end of the lower leg section and the lower end of the upper leg section, a bolt passing diametrically through the sleeve and the upper end of the lower leg section and connecting the two, a second bolt above the first at right angles thereto and passing dia metrically through the sleeve, a system of braces for one side of the tower fastened to one bolt, and a system of braces for another' side of the tower connected to the other bolt, said upper leg section being removable and insertible in the sleeve while the bolts are in place, the lower end ot the upper leg section being recessed to straddle the second bolt.

5. In a sectional tubular tower, upper and lower leg sections, a sleeve enveloping the upper end of the lower leg section and the lower end of the upper leg section, a bolt passing diametrically through the sleeve and the upper end of the lower leg section and connecting the two, a second bolt above the lirst at right angles thereto and passing diametrically through the sleeve, a system of braces for one side of the tower fastened to one bolt, and a system of braces for another side of the tower connected to the other bolt, said upper leg section being removable and insertible in the sleeve while the bolts are in place, at least one of the adjoining leg sections being recessed to straddle the second bolt.

6. In a sectional tubular tower, upper and lower leg sections, a sleeve enveloping the upper end of the lower leg section and the lower end of the upper leg section, a bolt passing diametrically through the sleeve and the upper end of the lower leg section and connecting the two, a second bolt above the rst at right angles thereto and passing diametrically through the sleeve, a system of braces for one side of the tower fastened to one bolt, and a system of braces for another side of the tower connected to the other bolt, said upper leg section being removable and insertible in the sleeve while the bolts are in place, the second bolt passing between the ends of the leg sections, the

upper end of the lower leg section and the lower end of the upper leg section having registered notches therein providing clearance for the second bolt between the ends of the two leg sections.

7. In a knocledown sectional tubular tower, a lower leg section, an upper leg section, a sleeve surrounding the adjoining portions of the two leg sections, two bolts at dilferent elevations and at right angles to each other passing through the sleeve, a system of bracing at one side of the tower joined to one bolt, a system of bracing on another side of the tower joined to the other bolt, one of said bolts serving to join the lower leg section and the sleeve, said upper leg section and said bolts being so disposed that the upper leg section is insertible in the sleeve after both bolts are in place.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto lset my hand.

MORGAN B. SCHILLER. 

